21 Years Being A Mum

Happy 21st Birthday, Ben - my first born, who made me a mummy! 

So I'm celebrating 21 years of being a parent. 

I can still remember the moment you were born, laid out on my tummy, blue eyes staring back at me.  

I'm incredibly proud of the young man you've become. 

Don't get me wrong, you still drive me potty at times, taking your time to do things, as you did coming into this world (33 hours of labour!) but I love that you have your own style, loving to dress up to the occasion. 

As well as liking to get dressed up, even in fancy dress, you're also happy to rough it camping, surfing, walking, also being outdoorsy. 

(Obligatory new born photo - one of my favourites)

You'll even entertain your old mum in things not deemed 'cool' (by your younger brother.) You're good fun and always happy to participate in whatever we suggest. 

I love that you'll even share a bottle of wine with me. 😍 (You'll make a great date when the right young lady comes along!)

I'm so proud you're working hard in your apprenticeship, training to be a construction engineer. 

I love that you like the finer things in life and know to work hard to achieve them. 

Keep being you, keep working hard, have fun and enjoy life, and maybe tidy your room occasionally...

Lots of love, 

One very proud mum. 

Xxx

(I scheduled this blog post to go live the minute you were born... 6.36am)

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all those great mums out there, doing everything they can to hold it together - probably. 

And sometimes it feels like you're fighting a losing battle, whether it be with toddlers or teenagers. It can be very overwhelming at times, and frustrating, and feels like a thankless task being a mum. 

And then they go do something cute, and we forgive them. lol!

So, I hope you're getting to put your feet up and chill, whether you're a mum to humans or pets. Go hide, if they won't let you! ha ha! (That's what I'm planning.)  

It's typical we lost an hour this morning with the clocks going forward. I find that kind of ironic. 

And I know this day may not be easy for some, who are missing their mum. So we're thinking of you, too.

Positive vibes and much love to everyone. 

AND Happy Mother's Day to my MUM!

I think the best thing about you being my mum, as well as being a little loopy like me, (which is probably where I get it from), is that I can tell you anything.

You really are my best friend.

My Mum releasing her inner loopy!

Love you, Mum Xxx 

 

Seventeen!

And here it is, ladies and gentleman, I am now the proud owner of another seventeen-year-old. 

It's incredibly scary how fast they grow! 

Happy 17th birthday, Kieran. 

He's probably too cool now for this blog post, so I just won't tell him I've posted it. 

He only allows his photo to be taken if I promise not to put it on Facebook ha ha! (This is the most recent one I have of him which is probably the least embarrassing.)

Kieran is growing up to be a fine young man. He's still into his football - sporting a broken big toe just before Christmas! (That was fun.) He had to have surgery, having a pin inserted. (He has had more A&E visits than his brother.) 

Having left school last summer, he's studying a T3 in sports science and still loves his food. In fact, he's eating me out of house and home! 

My cheeky little chappie has become a bit grumpy in his teenage years. He's always been keen on doing his hair - that certainly hasn't changed. Yet now, it's this floppy fashionable style that seems to be the trend. 

He's not so much Kamikaze Kieran anymore. Or Kieran the Destroyer (of toys). But he still tends to be fearless and prepared to give most things a go. 

He's actually working on his birthday, but has his first driving lesson booked for the 27th March. So, everyone, off the road! You've been warned! 

Carry on being you, my darling boy, just try not to be so grumpy and mean to your brother. You do love him really. 

My dad used to joke that having two boys I would be like the mum played by Wendy Craig in Butterflies. 

And with two boys owning cars, I can see this becoming more and more true. And I just don't have the driveway space! 

At least I don't place a tablecloth over the remnants of the meal before. 

Anyway, you'll always remain my cute, baby boy forever in my heart.

I hope you have a wonderful day, and I love you very much.

Mum Xxx 

The Reality Of Mother's Day

Does anyone else actually find Mother's Day exhausting? 

Although my boys are older now (nearly) 16 & 18, they tend to spend the weekends at their dad's and so Mother's Day weekend was my weekend to have them. 

I made waffles with bacon & maple syrup for breakfast - which was yummy, and I decided to cook a beef roast dinner with homemade gravy (a first for me) and yorkshire puddings. I had to cook the beef to my son's specifications - medium-rare. (I did a good job considering I've not really cooked beef before.) 

As it was sunny, prior cooking the roast dinner, I did get out in the garden and spent a couple of hours with Dad preparing the garden for Spring's arrival. Hard work, but therapeutic. And Ben did help until he had to go off to work.

Luckily, I do have a dishwasher, but I still had a mess of a kitchen to deal with after a roast... and the boys did manage to put their plates in there - at least! 

My eldest had to work so he couldn't help with making the dinner, and well, my youngest, came home from his football match and plopped himself in front of the telly... Man United was playing... 

I barely had time to sit on the sofa and read my book! (I'm not very good at doing 'nothing' mind you.)

I think next year I'm going to actually have the day to myself and not spend it with my kids - or just go out for dinner! - because Mother's Day just reminds me how much I have to work when they're about.

I love them. And they're not bad boys. But it doesn't matter how hard I try not to over mother them... it's still a lot of work. 

49

So I'm now in the last year of my 40's. This is technically, my 50th year... 

The last couple of years has been a dramatical change to my mindset, all thanks to joining Utility Warehouse. I was probably getting stronger already, as I'd dropped online dating. I'd clearly got to the point where I didn't want timewasters in my life anymore and that if I was meant to be with someone, eventually the universe would provide. 

However, the past couple of years has really strengthened my belief that I am more than happy to live on my own. I have enough friends and things going on around me to keep me busy. And I'll never be bored because I will always have writing. 

UW has given me something that I also desired; financial freedom. And the belief that I will have it. 

I am concerned that if I did find someone else in this life, I don't want to lose my financial independence. I will want to own my own house. I don't want to be in a relationship to rely on that person's income. And I definitely don't want to give up on the decision making. 

In my marriage it had been so easy to hand over all the financial reins to my husband. But now I've got them back, I don't want to ever lose that again. 

I was supposed to post this around my birthday... I started writing it in October, the day before my birthday, but opps... I've neglected my blog. 

Anyway, here's to the last year in my forties, and to my fifty things for fifty...